This invention pertains to an automatic-feed grinder which is compact and easy to clean by a disassembly of components without requiring the use of any special tools. A hopper has removable self-feeding augers which positively move tempered meat or large pieces of fresh meat to and through a grinding head. The hopper and grinding head are located forwardly of a drive gear box with the hopper located above the grinding head. The hopper can be moved forward relative to the drive gear box to release drive connections between the gear box and the augers and, thereafter, pivoted to a position to provide access to the grinding head whereby the components for feeding and grinding the meat can be cleaned easily.
Automatic-feed grinders are known in the art. One type of such grinder has an inverted conical hopper overlying a grinding head. This is a type of grinder construction used in butcher shops for many years wherein meat is manually pushed downwardly through the throat of the hopper into the grinding head having a feed screw for feeding the meat through grinding elements. This type of grinder is also known to have automatic feed wherein a generally vertically-extending auger within the hopper can advance the meat into the grinding head. This type of grinder is normally used in grinding small batches of meat.
Another form of automatic feed grinder has a hopper of substantial size for holding a large quantity of meat to be ground, with feeding means extending along the bottom of the hopper for moving the meat forwardly in the hopper to a discharge opening at the front end thereof and into a grinding head at a level lower than the hopper and extending forwardly from the front wall thereof. This type of automatic feed grinder requires substantial space because of the grinding head extending forwardly of the hopper and has other disadvantages in the complexity of the drive for the feeding means in the hopper and the feed screw in the grinding head as well as requiring a relatively complex disassembly for cleaning of the hopper and grinding head and components thereof which handle the meat.
The invention disclosed herein distinguishes over the prior art in relating to a compact, automatic-feed grinder requiring less space than previously-known devices having the same capacity and which has components readily disassembled without the use of special tools for cleaning thereof and a relatively simple drive mechanism for counter-rotating augers in the hopper and the feed screw of the grinding head because of the structural relation, one to the other. This structural relation is achieved by having the hopper and grinding head in superimposed relation with reverse flow of meat therein and all of the drive connections to the counter-rotating augers and the feed screw located at the rear of the hopper and grinding head and in generally vertical alignment.